Resumes

Resume Types and Samples

You should choose your resume format depending on your work and personal background. In this section, we will provide an overview of the main types of resumes, which types work best for specific people, and samples of each.

Experience-Focused Resume

This resume works well for people who are applying for a job in their current field because it focuses on experience and shows your career progress. In fact, this is the most common resume out there since most people are switching jobs within the same industry. Here is an example of an experience-focused, or “chronological,” resume.

Skills-Focused Resume

Often called “functional resumes,” these provide a summary of your qualifications with an emphasis on your experience and education rather than employer or position. You might consider using this format if you’re changing fields because this skills-oriented format demonstrates your transferable skills better than the experience-focused format. Also, if you have gaps between jobs, you should use the functional format since it de-emphasizes times of your experiences. (However, you should usually still include years, so you don’t give the impression of being misleading; however, just make the dates less conspicuous.) Here is an example of a functional resume.

Hybrid Resume

The “hybrid resume” includes your most relevant and best information from both your experiences and your education in a chronological order. This is one of the most common resumes, and we at Trusty Guides think it’s the best format particularly for those who are looking for their first job out of college. Remember, it’s best to include your GPA, because leaving it out will seem disingenuous. Here is an example of a combination resume.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV is not exactly a resume, but some employers request a CV in place of a resume. We won’t go into further detail on CVs in this guide, except to say that CVs include more detail than resumes (up to 10 pages), and are most often used for international jobs or PhD positions. Read on to learn about the best way to structure your resume.